Deciduoma Formation in Response to Uterine Trauma in the Guinea Pig1

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Abstract
The time course of deciduoma growth and the duration and magnitude of uterine responsivity to mechanical trauma were determined in adult virgin guinea pigs. Trauma consisted of a scissor cut along the antimesometrial border of each uterine horn. The time course of deciduoma growth was established by traumatizing the uterus on day 5 (estrus = day 0) and measuring uterine wt on days 5, 8, 10, 13 and 15 post-trauma (pt). Deciduoma growth increased from day 5 pt (1237 .+-. 588 mg/horn) to a maximum wt on Day 10 pt (3990 .+-. 611 mg/horn). To establish the period of maximum uterine responsivity to decidualization, animals were traumatized on days 0-8, 10, 12 and 14 of the estrous cycle. Deciduoma wt 10 days pt was used as an index of uterine responsivity. Maximum responsiveness extended from day 5 to 7 (3918 .+-. 515, 2844 .+-. 1249 and 2534 .+-. 692 mg/horn, respectively). Mean uterine wt of animals traumatized on Days 0, 4 and 8-14 ranged between 433-834 mg/horn. Increased uterine responsivity correlated with elevated plasma progesterone levels (days 2-7; 1.7 .+-. 0.2 ng/ml). Plasma estradiol levels were low during the luteal phase (< 10 pg/ml) except for day 6 (37.7 .+-. 3.4 pg/ml). Maximum deciduoma growth apparently is reached by 10 days postinduction and maximum uterine responsivity to decidualization induced by surgical trauma is limited to a period extending from day 5-7, the time at which the blastocyst normally induces decidualization during implantation and when plasma progesterone levels are elevated.